**Liv**

Cant wait for some pics

Great idea Libby. I also found rolled oats were good as bedding for my fussy hen Uncle tobys oats on the shopping list, I read the info on the link from Kaz, more scared now..... good news is the little girl in the picture turns 9 on the 16th so budgie babies for late birthday pressie Uncle tobys is very $$$$$$$ a generic brand will be just as good

Sounds like you had a good first session. "Not much of a cuddle, he kept flying off" I would say you were being to gentile. When you make the tonnel with your hands he should not be able to get away. as he crawls though your hands it should be a bit of an effort for him, then quickly bring your bottom hand to the top so he can continue the endless tonnel. He would still be getting used to you, and his surroundings. Perhaps if he can spend some time in that bedroom (in his cage) so he can get used to all the different object in there, he might be more comfortable next time. Having his wings clipped will make him tame even faster If he bobs his head when he chats to you AND if he isn't a bitter i would say you have a boy Girls often draw blood when they bite >>>>OUCH<<<< and girls seem to be not very social.

Thats gorgeous!

WOW Daz! That is such an informative article and i really enjoyed reading it. Hope you get to submit it soon.

Great idea Libby. I also found rolled oats were good as bedding for my fussy hen

If you can take the cage in to the bedroom with you then it's safer to get him in and out. The dim room helps keep him calm where the covered windows, and I should also mention covered Mirrors, will stop him from crashing into the glass if he flys. He will be a bit stressed, but if you relax, he should too. It's amazing how tuned into us they are. When you think he is feeling calmer. let him crawl out of your hands, up your shirt and onto your sholder. Relax your sholders as they feel the tension, and just let him sit there for a bit. Then Try slowly sliding your hand up and under his breast. Use and open hand as 1 finger scary to a timid baby. He might step on to your hand, or he might fly off. dont say "Shhh" when trying to settle him... "Shhh" is a bad sound in the bird world. Use Kisses, tounge clicks and quite whistles to calm him down. Having the cage in the room will allow him to make his own way back in to his safety zone - especially if threre is a yummy treat in there for him good luck with it and i hope you both enjoy your first cuddle Its what i have always done when taming birds. even aviary adults seem to tame this way, it just takes longer. Dr Harry Cooper also recomends this method Good luck.

Sammy sounds very sweet. I would love to bring Coco to work with me, I might get some complaints though, grumpy solicitors! Maybe I will try and get a bit closer to him tonight and see how he reacts - he might be okay when he realises I wont hurt him. Oh, so you haven't held him yet?? The first step i have with taming a birds is. Take them out of the cage in a small room (bedroom is great) that is dim with the windows covered and the door shut. Take him out of the cage, even if he resists, and hold him firm, but gentile in your hands close to your chest. Create a tunnel with your hands and Let him crawl though your hands, again and again and again. then after about 5 mins put him back in his cage for a rest. Then you keep repeting this until he gets comfortable with your hands and understands you wont hurt him. It might take a day or it might take a week - they are all different. He then should sit on your hand and not be as scared.

WOW! So many questions... so little time hehe If they came from the same petshop and are the same age etc... then it is possible they are brother and sister or cousins etc. I am not sure the causes of inbreeding , but it wouldn't be good for the chicks. I dont know if there is a way to determine if they are related closely or not? perhaps the others will know The food you are giving them wonderful - I'm not sure about the necturine and grapes though??? Dont stress too much as your birds will sence it and get just as tense too. Relax. They will know what to do, you are mostly there to provide them with a safe enviroment and good nutrition. Mite spay - am not sure.... Not sure about the splayed legs either?? i think the concave just keeps the eggs in place. Just relax and enjoy

He is a VERY cute YF Blue . I have a soft spot for these little guys! The more you hold him the tamer he will get. When i was in primary school (year 4 -5) i had a YF2 sky blue called Sammy( ). She was so tame i took her to school everyday without a cage and with full flight feathers. She wouldnt fly off and loved sitting on my sholder in class. She was a well educated bird and probably Smarter than a 5ht Grader hehe. I am surprised I was alowd to have her at school, but no one ever complained so she came with me everyday for over a year.

I Love Cockatiels! I have six That is awful what happened . I thought you may have been talking about something small, like Finches. My Weero's ( ) are spoilt too. One is screeching at me now, because he wants a snow pea hehe. I have 3 boys and 3 girls. A lucky even split. 2 Of my boys are Bi, I have seen them having a go at mating too hehehe

Thanks, I always thought mirrors = no talking. Good to know that isn't the case

Great to hear!! Well done! Am so pleased they are better.

He sounds like a he He sounds gorgeous! Do you have a photo? He is defiantly chatting you up when he is bobbing his head at you . Remember not to give him a mirror as I believe it stops them from learning to talk. He loves your attention and if you keep repeating words to him he may surprise you one day by saying it back. I'm not sure how long it takes for them to learn how to talk. Keep us posted

My perosnal choice is to use boxes. I have always used the boxes with LOTS of holes punched into ALL 6 SIDES of the box! I feel this is important for maximum air flow. 1 bird per box and I don't transport birds on hot days. I have quite a collection of shoe sized boxes hehe. Good bird shops will not let you take a bird home on a day that is too hot either. Libby, What happened to you sounds horrible **Hugs** Sorry, I don't know what weero's are? It may not have been the box alone, that created the disaster. Could they have been old and/or sick and weak already.???

Thats great news Thanks so much!

I have recently found a beach near by my home that has pure shell gritt instead of sand. :yellowhead: Would this shell gritt be safe to use on the floor of my aviary, or do i need to keep using the processed type from the shops? thanks liv

What terrible news :yellowhead: **HUGS** Hope she pulls though

Welcome!!! Your First eggs are a very exciting time. :yellowhead:

What a FANTASTIC IDEA!!! :hap:

Grey's dont have violet tinges around the neck if carrying violet. okay, Thanks Kaz... Oops

Hi Colorama, I would guess you could get some violets, especially if your grey hen has theviolet gene (she will have a slight purple tinge around the neck) You could start a new topic with your question and pictures of both birds. You will get lots of help from the others. They probaby wont find it tucked away in here

What a lovely story. Brings a tear to my eye. You saved that lovely lady from a making a horrible mistake! Well Done!

My Aviary is about that size and i have 20 budgies and 6 tiels in it. I feel my aviary is full at the moment. But thats just me - dont like to crowd them. Budgies are flock birds so they don't mind lots of company What are the measurements of your Aviary?

Hen - Fantastic - SHE is Phoebe!!! This is the mate I plan to pair up with Barney..... Now for the loooooooooong wait for Phoebe to turn 12 months She is just what i was looking for. She is a YF Sky blue Opaline with the violet gene ( i can see some violet around her neck). I feel she is a good pet size, but she is quite young and may grow a bit more - I'd guess she's 6-8 weeks. Also the wide cage bars are creating an optical illusion and making her look smaller than she is. As for the cage... i was hesitant when i got it from my friend as the bars are wide... My friend had Love birds in it before they few away.... don't blame them either as its not a big cage Is there anything I can do to make it safe? Other wise she will have to go in to Barneys cage until i can get another.